Highway safety guard



Sept. 19, 1939. A. L. RAILEY HIGHWAY" SAFETY GUARD Filed April 14, 1957 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in safety guards for highways, and more particularly to improved barrier means extending along the center line of a highway for dividing the latter into two parallel traific lanes on which vehicles may safely travel in opposite directions.

The primary object of my invention is to provide an improved safety guard extending longitudinally along the center line of a highway for preventing vehicles traveling in opposite directions from crossing from one lane wherein the traffic is moving in a certain direction into another lane wherein the traffic is proceeding in an opposite direction, the said guard comprising upstanding joined steel sections provided at certain intervals with lighting facilities which at night not only serve to acquaint motorists of the guards presence but also when suitably colored to signal the approach of an intersection or a turn in the highway,

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter or will be indicated in the appended claims or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purposes of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of a highway safety guard representative of my invention; it is understood however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is for the purpose of illustration only, and that therefore it is not to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor is it to be given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limiting the claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. l is a plan view of a highway embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing the numeral I indicates a concrete or other suitably constructed highway which is divided along its longitudinal center line by my improved safety guard into two substantially parallel traffic lanes or driveways. My improved safety guard is formed in joined sections from pairs of complementary steel plates 2 and 3 which are suitably secured together as by bolts 4. The plates 2 and 3 assume substantially vertical positions and are formed at their lower energy for a number of ends with outwardly disposed base portions 2a and 3a respectively, which are securely embedded in the concrete material of the highway. The plates 2 and 3 extend above the top surface of the highway I for eight inches or so and are formed respectively at their upper ends With outwardly curved portions 22) and 3b which are substantially semi-circular in cross section. The plates terminate at their upper ends with semidove tail notches 2c and respectively which mesh with one longitudinally along the upper 21; and 3b form a tubular conduit for housing electric wires or cables 5 which supply electrical electric light globes 6 distributed at certain intervals along the guard. If so desired telephone wires may also be extended through the tubular portion of the highway guard for the attachment of telephonic equipment.

The electric light globes 6 able sockets l which are secured to blocks 8 by any suitable means such as screws. The blocks are substantially semi-circular in cross section and are proportioned so as to snugly fit against the inside surface of the tubular portion of the guard.

At points preferably above and to the side of the electric light globes 6 the curved upper portions 2b and 3b of the steel plates are provided with rectangular shaped openings which are closed by arcuate-shaped transparent or colored lenses or panes 9. The lenses 9 are each securely held in place by screws l0 which extend through suitable openings at the side edges of the said lenses and into threaded holes provided in the outwardly curved portions 2b and 3b of the are mounted in suitplates 2 and 3. So as to prevent rain or moisture from entering the area in the upper tubular portion of the guard where the light globes are located suitable gaskets H are interposed between the ends of each of the lenses 9 and their seats which are located at the ends of the rectangular openings in the tubular portions 2b and 3b. The lenses 9 may be entirely transparent or they may be colored, and in this connection it is contemplated that along straight stretches of the highway the lights be a yellow and at points approaching intersections or at sharp curves the color be changed preferably to a red. It is believed that along straight parts of the highway the lights should be about five hundred feet apart and at points approaching intersections the separating distances be lessened to another and form a water tight into a plurality of lanes, a

2 a say, around one hundred to twenty-five feet. It is of course apparent that the positioning of the lights with respect to one another or the coloring of the lenses or globes to give certain colored effects to the light rays or in fact the painting of the guard is entirely optional and are matters to be determined by the authorities in control of the highways where my invention is installed.

Associated preferably with each electric light globe 6 is a reflector l2 which is positioned to reflect light rays from its associated globe through the lens 9 which is positioned above the latter. The reflectors may each be held in its proper reflect-ing position by any suitable means such as by having a projecting ear l3 provided at its upper end which is held between an end of its associated lens 9 and the latters seat.

While it is thought to be preferable to have the lenses 9 positioned at the top of the highway guard, it may also be desired in some instances to have lenses positioned at the sides of the said guard so as to partially illuminate the opposite lanes of the highway.

For obvious reasons, it is preferable to arrange the sections of the steel plates 2 and 3 so the adjoining ends of the said plates at one side of the guards are located intermediate the adjoining ends of those plates at the opposite side of the said guard, as illustrated by the vertical dotted lines of Fig. 1.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. In a highway safety guard extending longitudinally along a highway for dividing the latter barrier member extending longitudinally along a highway, having aligned complementary pairs of rigid plates, the pairs of plates being secured together and each plate of a pair having an oppositely disposed base section embedded in the highway, each plate of a pair having an upright section and each plate of a pair having an outwardly curved top section formed on its upright section, the said top sections being substantially semi-circular in cross section and the two top sections of each pair of plates constituting a tubular member.

2. In a highway safety guard extending longitudinally along a highway for dividing the latter into a plurality of lanes, a barrier member extending longitudinally along a highway for dividing the highway into two lanes and over which a vehicle is not normally capable of traveling, the said barrier comprising a series of joined pairs of rigid plates, each pair of plates having outwardly protruding base portions embedded in the highway, upwardly disposed upright portions rigidly secured together and extending above the highway, and outwardly disposed semi-cylindrical top portions formed on the upright portions, the top portions constituting a cylindrical conduit for housing electrical wires, a plurality of spaced windows formed at certain intervals in the top portions, a plurality of electric light globes connected to the wires and located in the top portions at points adjacent the windows, and light reflectors inside the top portions and located adjacent the electric light globes.

3. In a highway safety guard extending longitudinally along a highway for dividing the highway into a plurality of lanes on which vehicles may proceed in opposite directions, a barrier member extending longitudinally along the highway for dividing the latter as aforesaid, comprising a plurality of pairs of complementary rigid plates placed end to end, each plate of a pair having an outwardly disposed flange portion embedded in the highway, an upstanding part secured to the flange portion and extending substantially above the top surface of the highway, and a semi-cylindrical portion formed at the top edge of the upright-portion, the said semicylindrical portions of each pair of plates forming a tubular conduit for housing electrical conductors, electrical lighting means housed in the tubular conduit and connected to the electrical conductors, and window means in the semi-cylindrical portions near the lighting means.

AUBREY L. RAILEY. 

